Tabloids
by breatheactsing123
Summary: Just a little one-shot set fairly early in the Santos Administration


" _I am good. I am kind. I am intelligent. I am valuable."_ Donnatella Moss repeated to herself as she heard some right-wing pundit attack her character on Capitol Beat.

It happened from time to time since she and Josh had attended President Santos's inaugural balls as a couple. It was to be expected. Most of the time, it doesn't bother her, because she knows how untrue all of it is. She didn't get her job on her back. Everything she had gotten in the Bartlet administration, she got because she was bright, because she was determined, and because she worked hard. So they could call her a slut, a homewrecker, or America's harlot on Fox News. Those things didn't bother her nearly as much as they bothered Josh, because she simply knew that they weren't true. But today, they'd diverted from the usual name-calling tactics.

"All I'm saying," drawled some freshman senator from Louisiana, "is that Josh Lyman hired a leggy blonde assistant with no qualifications, slept with more powerful women until they left him-" Okay, that one stung, not for the fact that it had happened, but for the memories of Amy Gardner and Mandy Hampton and for knowing that they'd had him first. She was territorial, but she couldn't help that. She tuned back into the television. "And then settled on his assistant when she landed herself in a position of power, no doubt by his own arm twisting. Wait for a more powerful, more expedient political woman to come along, a senator looking to make a presidential bid or a Supreme Court Justice nominee, and see if he stays with her then. He'll leave her. There's always someone smarter, someone prettier, someone more powerful. Within the next three years, I'd bet, he'll leave her." Quickly, as if she'd been shocked or burned, she reached for the T.V. remote on the edge of her desk and flicked the television off. She knew better than to watch that crap. She turned back to her desk and tried to throw herself into work to stop from hyperfixating on what she'd heard, but it was no use. She couldn't get his voice out of her head. "He'll leave her," She heard over and over on a tortuous loop. Some time later, her office door opened, but she didn't even bother looking up.

"If it's not paperwork, leave it for tomorrow." She said, hoping to God it was actually something that could be pushed to tomorrow and not a national emergency.

"Hey," Josh said quietly, knowing that something must be wrong if Donna was barking at people like this.

"Hi," She said softly, daring to look up at the man she had already decided was going to leave her and willing the tears in her eyes not to roll down her cheeks.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Josh asked, crossing the length of her office to crouch next to her chair.

"Nothing. It's nothing, really, it's fine. What did you come by for?" She says, dabbing at her eyes quickly, taking a breath, and looking at him.

"I came to see if you were ready to go home," he told her, still not convinced that things were okay.

"What time is it?" She asked, looking behind her to see the clock.

"It's 9:30 Donna. Come on, let's go," He said, helping her into her coat. Because Josh was the chief of staff, Secret Service now drove them to and from their home in the morning. Josh wrapped his arms around Donna in the backseat of the town car, but still she was tense. They were silent until they crossed through the threshold of his apartment, the apartment they now shared.

"Donna," Josh started softly as Donna hung up her coat and moved to put her briefcase away. "Donna, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really, Josh. I'm fine.

"You weren't fine when I came to pick you up tonight. And one of your interns made it sound like you weren't so fine all day."

"Give me their name so I can fire them." Donna said point-blank.

"Not going to happen." He told her. "Talk to me, please."

"It really is nothing. You're going to think I'm crazy."

"The good news is I already think you're crazy."

"Josh!" Donna snapped.

"Donnatella, please. What happened?"

"Some gross senator was on Capitol Beat," She finally tells him. "Spouting off all of the usual insane crap about how I'm America's harlot, a title I wear proudly, as you know, but then he started talking…" she trailed off.

"Talking about what?"

"About how this was just a relationship of power and convenience, and about how someone with more political prowess would come along and how you'd leave me." Donna admits. "I mean, it's not that crazy, is it? I'm not your type, Josh. Mandy, Joey, Amy. Those women were your type. Sharks. They had it, Josh. They had degrees and political smarts and they were cutthroat-"

"Donnatella," Josh starts.

"No, Josh. I'm not crazy."

"Donna, none of them were you," He says with such soft conviction that it stops her in her tracks. "The biggest thing those women have in common, and the number one reason it didn't work out with any of them, is because they weren't you. Come here," He says, moving to wrap his arms around her, dropping a kiss to her temple. "You and me, our life together… I wouldn't trade that for another 8 years of the Bartlet administration. I wouldn't trade that for the world. You and I know better than anyone that our lives are defined by the choices we make, and I choose you. Every other choice is secondary to the fact that I choose you."

Donna is crying again, she realizes, as she turns her face further into Josh's chest and feels her hot tears soak into the light green fabric of his shirt. This time, though, the insecurity that had been weighing on her chest like an anvil has dissipated and she's crying not to rid herself of some toxicity but because she just can't possibly be expected to hold in all the love she has for Josh and for their jobs and for their apartment and for their lives.

"In case I wasn't clear enough, I'm not leaving you. This is it, baby. If you want out, you'd better start running, but be warned that I'll chase you." He teased as he squeezed her tighter.

"I won't make you chase me. I know how much you hate jogging."

Josh chuckled, kissed the top of her head, and released her,."Come on, let me make you something to eat." Josh said, walking into the kitchen. For a moment, Donna didn't follow, just watching Josh's back as he reached into a cupboard and realizing how lucky she was to have this man for the rest of her life.


End file.
